15 The phoenix five

After escaping Avengers Academy, the lights arrived to see Utopia had changed.

" Whoa! What is this? The Islands... it's some kind of... Metal." Laurie exclaimed as she gazed at the shiny new land of Utopia

" That's because things have changed. And they will continue to change. And nothing will stop us from returning to glory." Scott declared as he and four other X-men arrived before the students.

Bart and the others turned and looked up at the men and women glowing in a bright red flame. Their attires had changed, and they seemed to be something different, something more, something powerful. An alarm rang inside Bart's head causing his senses to go haywire. And Bart looked upon the men and women in fear.

" What happened to you guys?" Bart asked.

" We have been reborn as something more. This is the power of the phoenix force." Scott explained to the boy.

" What happened to Hope?" Gabriel asked.

" She is safe. She is on the Island. For now, we must go. We have work to do and so do you. Prepare yourselves for the coming battle." Scott told the lights before he and the rest of the phoenix five left the island to begin their mission.

Over the next few weeks Scott and the rest of the phoenix five would begin their mission to change the world. Magik and colossus took to Africa and where it was once Barren the land bloomed. And where there was hunger there will now be a feast. Namor, cleansed the water of the Aleutian Trench, making it so that any man could drink from their water and thrive. Emma used her power to turn the Gobi Desert into a place that could provide the world limitless free energy. And yet despite all the good they were doing Captain America and the Avengers were still pressed on finding a way to stop them.

" Bart?" Laurie called out to Bart, bringing him away from his thoughts.

Snapping back to the present, Bart looked over to Laurie who sat on the ground next to him. " Hey, Laurie. Sorry, I didn't see you there." Bart said to the girl.

" What were you doing, Bart?" Laurie asked.

Bart looked down and sighed. " I was thinking about everything that had happened since we came back to the Island that night. Ever since then so much has changed, for the good yes." Bart explained to the girl.

Seeing his concerned expression, Laurie knew there was something wrong. " But you still feel like somethings wrong, don't you?" Laurie asked the boy

" I do. I mean, Summers and the others have been doing so much good for the world and yet despite all of that, we're still technically fighting the Avengers. I mean there hasn't been any open aggression, but I know it's just waiting to boil over. And I can't help but think, maybe, Scott and the others are wrong." Bart explained to the girl.

Laurie reached over and placed her hand gently over Barts and rubbed the back of it. " Bart..."

" Am I wrong for thinking that?" Bart asked the girl.

" I don't know, Bart. I know that mutants have always had it harder than others and for them they feel that this is their last chance. Maybe, it isn't for us to decide. Maybe it is. But that doesn't matter. All that matter is you doing what you believe is right." Laurie said to the boy, she then placed her hand on his face and gently rubbed it. " And know that whatever you decide. I'll support you no matter what. And I'll always be by your side." Laurie said to Bart as she curled up into his chest.

Bart smiled and wrapped his arm around Laurie's waist and pulled her close. The two teens sat together in silence as they watched the others playing out in the fields of Utopia. ' I know I'm happy being here with you, Laurie. But Hope she's not. And more and more everyday I begin to think this isn't our Utopia anymore. It's our prison. And the others are our wardens. I pray I'm wrong.' Bart thought to himself. However, as he looked down at Laurie's peaceful slumber Bart couldn't help but smile and be happy that the girl he had come to care so much for was happy and at peace.

' Maybe it's not going to be so bad after all.' Bart thought. However, before Bart could rest any further an explosion occurred from where Hope's chambers where. Bart and Laurie along with the others who were there in the fields jumped to their feet's.

" That came from Hope's room. Bart, go!" Laurie suddenly yelled to Bart.

Bart nodded and ran up the side of the building and into the smoke to see the avengers had burst into Hope's room and where knocking out mutants.

" What the hell is wrong with you people?! You can't just attack us." Bart said to the men and women.

" Sorry, Kid. Nothing personal, but we're taking the girl." Hawkeye said to Bart. He then fired an arrow at Bart. But Bart caught it with ease.

" Too slow, buddy." Bart taunted as he held the arrow in his hands.

" Tick tick Boom!" Hawkeye replied and a second later the arrow exploded hitting Bart in the face with a knockout gas.

" Bart! What did you do to him?!" Bart heard Scott ask in anger before passing out momentarily. Moments later Bart reawoke to see Hope leaving with the avengers much to the anger of Scott and Emma." Ugh, what happened?" Bart asked groggily.

" You were knocked out by one of Hawkeye's sleep arrows." Emma said to the boy.

" I meant, what happened to Hope?" Bart asked.

" They took her. They came here and they took here. Every time we get pushed into the corner they never stop coming for us. We have been feared and hunted. We have become endangered. We are very few. And, still, they keep coming for us. Now, even at our most powerful, even when we do the favor of remaking the earth into a more livable place, even then mankind feels bold enough to send their heroes here to steal our innocent. To take away our tomorrow." Scott exclaimed. He bent over and picked up the head piece that belonged to captain America. " I've finally figured out why it's them. Men know that regardless of their endless sins against mutants, their heroes will protect them. They will do what their leaders think needs to be done. I will tolerate it no longer. It changes now. No more Avengers." Scott declared with anger.

Bart looked at the man and knew that the worst was yet to come. And now he had a decision to make, take the lights and run. Or stay here and fight.